Hurricane Eugene weakens off Mexico; no threat to land

MEXICO CITY – Hurricane Eugene weakened Sunday night after spending the day as a strong a Category 3 storm in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico, but forecasters said it was not expected to threaten land.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm had dropped to Category 2 late Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph). It was centered about 535 miles (860 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula and was moving toward the northwest at 12 mph (19 kph).

The center said Eugene was forecast to stay well offshore and likely would begin weakening quickly Monday or Monday night as it moved over cooler waters.